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Timu ‘Seized The Moment,’ But Huskies Come Up Short

John Timu knew he missed an opportunity to get his second pick-six of the season last week against Oregon.

So when the senior linebacker returned to practice this week, he worked on staying disciplined. On Saturday night, he received a second shot to pick off a pass and sprint the other way.

With Washington trailing by 10 points in the third quarter, Timu plucked a pass out of the air and sprinted 63 yards for a touchdown.

“I seized the moment,” said Timu, who finished with eight total tackles.

Timu’s score was the sixth defensive touchdown for the Huskies – a school record – this season, but while it sparked a rally, it wasn’t enough for a win as Arizona State claimed a 24-10 win at Husky Stadium.

“We did all right,” said Timu, when asked to assess Washington’s defense. “We didn’t come out with a win. We didn’t play hard enough to come out with a victory.”

With Shaq Thompson spending the game at running back, Timu and Keishawn Bierria – he finished with a sack and six tackles – stepped up to lead the Huskies’ linebackers.

“It doesn’t matter who is out there,” Timu said. “Me, backups, other backups, it doesn’t matter who is playing. Every play is important.”

Washington sacked Sun Devils quarterback Taylor Kelly seven times with Hau’oli Kikaha contributing a team-high four to become the Huskies’ career leader in bringing down the quarterback. With 14.5 in 2014, he is now tied with Jason Chorak for the most in a single season.

The defense kept the Huskies in the game, but needed one more stop with the game tied in the fourth quarter.

“We gave up a touchdown on the last drive where we felt like we could have held them,” Timu said. “It could have been the key moment of that game. We’ve just got to keep battling, keep fighting.”

There was frustration in Timu’s voice as he talked in hushed tones outside the locker room. But, before heading to meet the media, he stressed the team won’t spend much time dwelling on the loss.

“We’ve got to love each other up,” Timu said. “We did what we could. We can’t sulk on this too long or it will affect the rest of the season.”